Dispenser



June 20, 1944. c':. E. FRUIN ETAL DISPENSER Filed Aug. 29, 1940 INVENTOR CHHAEJ E- Flea/N James C. F/aJ/N MAM? ATTORNEYCS.

Patented June 20, 1944 2.351.751 DISPENSER Charles E. Fruln and James C. Frilin, Chicago, 111.

Application 29, 1940, Serial No. 354,672

12 Claims. (Cl. 222-505) This invention relates to improvements in a dispenser, particularly adapted for dispensing beverages under pressure and designed especially for dispensing whipped cream. Cream and the like, canned under pressure with nitrous oxide or some other inert gas, absorbs the gas and when the pressure is released the bubbles of gas forming in and escaping from the cream whip the cream and this principle is now being used in dispensing whipped cream at soda fountains and elsewhere. The dispenser herein disclosed is particularly adapted for such service.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a novel, simple and convenient dispensing apparatus peculiarly adapted to be incorporated in a crown cap to provide a valve therefor and means for operating the valve for dispensing the contents of the container to which the crown cap is adapted. It is a further object of the invention to provide like-apparatus which may be built into a container which does not have a crown cap.

- Other objects will appear from the following disclosure.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section through a dispensing device provided with a crown cap embodying my invention, the dispensing tip and valve operating device being likewise illustrated in section and in a position approximate to that in which it is used.

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing in perspective the separate parts comprising the crown cap, the

valve, and the operating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showing on a reduced scale the dispensing container and dispensing fitting associated in the position in which they are to be used.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing a preferred embodiment of the invention as incorporated in a crown cap. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view similar to the upper portion of Fig. 1, showing a modified embodiment of the invention in which the valve mechanism, operable by the same dispensing fitting shown in Fig. 1, is incorporated directly into the container.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The container 1 may comprise an ordinary can having a tapered top 8 provided wtih an apertured mount 9 beaded at It to receive the crown cap l5.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the crown cap l5 t is provided with the usual cork gasket at it to closed, corresponding to conventional practice which is usually made of cork composition and impregnated with wax or the like so that it is somewhat adhesive. This adhesive quality of the gasket is taken advantage of to connect temporarily to the gasket a perforated disk I! which is made of extremely light metal such as foil.

Loosely fitting within the central opening it of the gasket is a valve 20 which may be made of or surfaced with rubber. Preferably it comprises a light wafer 2| of metal and a rubber disk 22 mounted thereon. The pressure of the contents of container 1 holds the valve 20 tightly to the inner surface of the crown cap [5 to cover the orifice 23 through which the contents of the container are dispensed. Aside from this orifice the crown cap and its gasket are otherwise of entirely conventional design.

The dispensing fitting 25 comprises a cupshaped member applicable over the top of the crown cap and having a dispensing tube at 26 opening within an interior gasket 21. Projecting through the gasket immediately adjacent the opening into tube 26 is a pin 28 of sufficient length to be adapted to reach through the orifice 23 of the crown cap and to displace the valve 20 in the interior thereof.

When the crown cap is applied to the container l the apertured wafer I1 is clamped and permanently confined between the gasket Hi of the crank cap and the mouth of the container. Pending such application the apertured foil wafer II adheres to'the gasket It with sufiicient tenacity to hold the valve in place and to maintain the parts assembled to the crown cap.

As above indicated, the gas pressure of the contents of container 1 maintains the valve normally seated to close the orifice 23, but when the prong 2B displaces the valve, the container being held in an inverted position as shown in Fig. 3, the cream will escape through the apertures IQ of the wafer l1 and about the valve, and will pass through the orifice 23 of the crown cap and I through the. interior of gasket 21 of fitting 25. Thereupon the whipped cream will be dispensed through the tube 26. The dispensing operation will continue only so long as suflicient pressure is exerted by the operators fingers upon the fitting 25 to keep the valve 2o displaced. As soon as the pressure on fitting 25 is relievedthe valve 20 will reseat itself and cut oil the discharge of cream from the nozzzle.

In the device shown in Fig. 4, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the crown cap I5 is identical with that above disexcept for the provision of the orifice at 23. In this device, the apertured wafer I" which serves as a retainer for the valve instead of comprising a disk adhesively connected to the gasket i6 and confined between the gasket and the mouth of the container, is here made in the shape of an inverted hat provided with a flange at 29 which is held between the gasket l8 and the crown cap The depressed central portion of the wafer re ceives the valve 220 and has apertures at l9 to permit access of the liquid in the container. The fitting through which dispensing occurs is identical with that previously described, and it will be apparent that the prong 28 inserted through orifice 23 will displace the valve 220 to permit the escape of liquid from the inverted container through the nozzle tube 28 of the fitting 25.

It is possible to build the valve structure directly into the container as shown in Fig. 5, where the container Ill has a double wall top comprising an inner portion 8| and an outer portion 82. The inner portion BI is spaced at 83 from the portion 84 of the outer wall at the top, leaving a clearance within which the valve 20 is disposed. The

inner wall portion 83 has apertures I90 corresponding to the apertures IS in wafer II. The outer wall portion 84 at the top of the container has an orifice at 230 corresponding to the orifice above described at 23 in the crown cap.

The same type of dispensing fitting 250 is applicable to this structure, the only difierence being that the body portion is preferably flared at 30 sufiiciently to fit the taper of the outer wall portion 82 at the top of the container so as to facflitate handling during the discharge of the liquid contents in the manner shown in Fig. 3. In each embodiment of the invention it is preferred that the inner form of the dispensing fitting should be complementary to that of the dispenser or the crown cap of the dispenser, as the case may be. It will be understood that where the dispenser is provided with a cap the cap may be regarded, for some purposes, as a part of the dispenser.

We claim:

1. The combination with a receptacle having an apertured end wall and valve means interiorly seated against said wall across the aperture thereof, of a dispensing fitting comprising'a member complementary to said wall and adapted for manipulation by, the operators fingers, said member having an annular locating flange surrounding said wall to center said member with respect to the wall, a nozzle opening through said member and having its receiving end at said member and means adjacent said nozzle fixed within said member and centered by said flange to be receivable through the aperture of said wall for the displacement of the valve seated thereagainst.

2'. The combination with a container having an apertured end portion with tapered sides, of a valve seating against said portion to close the aperture thereof, means within said container limiting the movement of said valve from said end portion, and a dispensing fitting comprising a member having a taper complementary to that of the end portion of the container, an interior gasket applicable to the end portion of the container about the aperture thereon, a prong fixed to the fitting within the gasket adapted to pro- Ject through the aperture for the displacement of the valve member within the container, and a nozzle opening through said member from the vicinity oi the prong for dispensing the contents of the container released by the opening of the valve.

3. A device of the character described comprising a container having a two ply end wall, the said plies having apertured portions mutually spaced, and a disk valve member confined between the aperturedportions of the piles and spanning the apertured portion of the outer ply, whereby to be adapted to seat against the outer ply of the container wall in a position to close the aperture therethrough.

4. A device of the character described comprising a container having a two ply end wall, the said plies having apertured portions mutually spaced, and a valve member confined between the apertured portions of the plies and adapted to seat against the outer ply of the container wall in a position to close the aperture therethrough, together with a dispensing fitting applicable exteriorly to the outer ply of the container and provided with gasket means for establishing a seal about the apertured portion thereof, said fitting including a dispensing nozzle opening through the fitting from a point within the seal but wholly external respecting said end wall, and a prong fixed to the fitting within the seal and projecting in a direction to be receivable through the aperture of the outer ply of said wall to displace the valve member for the release of the contents of the container, the length of the prong being such as to displace said valve member substantially co-incidentally with engagement of said gasket means with said outer ply.

5. That sub-combination of a container which comprises as a separate article of manufacture a centrally apertured crown cap having about its aperture a fixed valve seat portion and provided about the aperture with an interior annular sasket, a valve member within the gasket seating against the inner surface of the crown can about the aperture therein and movable freely from its seat against internal container pressure, and an apertured retaining element connected with the under surface of the Gasket and extending beneath said valve member for supporting the valve member for unitary handling with the crown cap,- while accommodating the free movement of the valve member from the cap aperture.

6. The combination with a member having anand means for holding said valve member in operative proximity to said surface.

7. The-combination with a member having an annular gasket and a dispensing tube wholly at one side of the gasket and opening into the space enclosed by the gasket, said member having a valve displacing prong projecting through the gasket to a point therebeyond, of a container having an end closure provided with spaced apertured walls, a valve member confined between said walls and pressure engageable with the inner surface of the outer wall to close the aperture therethrough subject to displacement by said prong.

8. The sub-combination of a valved container constituting a. separate article of manufacture comprising a closure provided with an apertured wall, a flat, annular gasket in face contact with an internal surface of the wall about the aperture therein, a retainer connected with the gasket and spanning the aperture of the gasket in spaced relation to the wall, and a loose valve confined by the retainer within the annular gasket and substantially within the plane thereof, said valve being freely movable respecting the retainer and the gasket to and from the apertured wall and normally seating outwardly against said wall to close the aperture when in use, the closure, gasket, retainer and valve being subject to handling as a unit and the interior diameter of the gasket exceeding the diameter of the valve by an amount insufiicient to allow lateral displacement of the valve from operative relation to the aperture of the wall.

9. That sub-combination of a valved container constituting a. separate article of manufacture which comprises a crown cap applicable to the container and having a centrally apertured top wall, said cap including in unitary combination an annular flat gasket in face contact with said wall within the cap, a valve comprising a disk seating against the interior face of the wall across the aperture therein and confined within the gasket against lateral displacement from operative seating position, and a retainer having an opening for passing liquid to the valve, said retainer being spaced from the apertured wall at a distance exceeding the thickness of the valve disk and said valve being free of the container and gasket for movement within the confines provided by the retainer and gasket to maintain the valve in operative proximity to said wall.

10. The combination with a container having a mouth at its end, of a closure therefor connected externally with the container and provided with an end wall having a central opening registering with the container mouth and an annular seat surrounding the opening adapted to receive a dispensing fitting substantially at the level of the opening, a fiat gasket under pressure confined between saidend wall and the container mouth and provided with an aperture registering with the central opening of said wall, a retainer connected with the closure and spanning said aperture in spaced relation to the inner face of the wall, and a disk valve confined by said retainer in operative proximity to the wall and confined within the aperture of said gasket against lateral displacement from operative proximity to conical wall merging with an end wall having an said opening, said valve being of less thickness than the space between the retainer and the inner face of the wall and being freely movable respecting the gasket and retainer to and from the wall opening.

11. That sub-combination of a valved container constituting a separate article of manufacture which comprisesa cap applicable to the container and having a centrally apertured external wall, said cap including in unitary combination an annular gasket disposed within the cap adjacent the wall, a valve within the gasket and inside the wall seating outwardly subject to pressure within the container against the said wall and spanning the aperture therein to close the aperture through the cap and mechanically displaceable inwardly, and an apertured valve retainer connected with the gasket and constituting means for centering the valve respecting the cap and for limiting the displacement of the valve from its seat against the cap wall and for holding the valve to the cap for unitary handling, said retainer comprising a cup-shaped member having a top marginal flange engaged between the annular gasket and the said wall and provided with openings communicating with the space about the valve and mutually spaced to assure that at least one will remain open regardless of which side of the valve is pushed from the cap when said valve is mechanically displaced.

12. In combination, a container having a frusto aperture in its central portion, of an inner wall spanning the space between the frusto conical portions of the wall first mentioned an i in spaced relation to said apertured wall portion, said inner wall likewise being apertured, and a thin and approximately fiat disklike valve member of such dimensions as to be capable of limited movement between said walls, the frusto conical form of the first mentioned wall so reducing the diameter of the space in which said valve member is confined as to hold said member beneath the aperture of the end wall portion, whereby the latter is adapted in all positions of lateral displacement to seat outwardly against said first mentioned apertured wall portion under pressure of the contents of said container, said valve being mechanically displaceable inwardly from said wall to release the contents of the container for discharge through the aperture.

CHARLES E. FRUIN. JAMES C. FRUIN. 

